A horrendous crime that leaves him bereft of his closest friend plunges 15 year-old Devante into a hopeless pit of depression. He finds himself at the Harrison School, a sanctuary for young people with a variety of mental illnesses. Devante befriends Janina, a long term resident at the school. With the help of the compassionate counselors, the kids travel down the difficult road trying to resume a ‘normal life’. But what normal is may not be so easily defined. Dr. Lutkin is a wonderfully caring but emotionally scarred psychiatrist. Gail is a medical professional disillusioned with the typical standard of care for these tortured adolescents. Together they navigate the murky waters between convention wisdom and heart-felt common sense treatments for challenging disorders.
A Bitter Pill to Swallow is a realistic look at the way mental illness has been dealt with in our recent history. The characters are compelling with their own unique struggles. Janina was especially relatable. The way her crush on Devante developed took me back to being a young teenager again. And the flawed Dr. Lutkin was quite endearing. (He has especially good taste in pizza!) It seems clear that Tiffany Gholar is familiar with the stigmas surrounding mental health topics in youth. She deals with it deftly and realistically. The prose is sweet and compelling, heartbreaking and grounding at the same time. A Bitter Pill to Swallow is a true to life story filled with charm and insight.
